Arrival

[Mor'os]

"Well," said Osmar, not sure quite how to respond to a statement of such a dire nature, "I can do nosing to give zem anymore patience, or undo what has happened."

[The Empire]

"No, but I intend to tell them that all their obligations and duties towards me has ceased and I want you to make sure anyone who choose to leave doesn't come to harm for as long as they remain in Mor'os. Would you do that for me?"

[Mor'os]

"Why would I har'm zem? Zey are our gues't's."

[The Empire]

"I don't say you would, but I doubt you or your ministers can control everyone in Mor'os who doesn't abide by laws. I even recall my caravan to your capital beeing attacked by raiders of some kind. Though they were hardly prepared for our fire power, still, those who might want to leave won't be able to wear their power armours, and then an arrow is just as deadly to them as to anyone else."

[Mor'os]

"Certainly zose sor't's did roam ze coun't'ry under Ar rule. Ze neglec't of ze border p'rovinces is to b'lame for zat. But zat should be changing. Zese refor'm's are com'p'lete, an'd in'c'lude not neglecting zem. An'd ze capital an'd ze cen't'ral p'rovinces are quite safe."

[The Empire]

"I know, dear Osmar, but no matter how mush anyone wishes it, such things don't change over night. Still, there might be another way to set them free of their imagined prison, give them new duties, something to live for. Since we landed in what used to be Parzan's province, they have become more like walking dead than the soldiers I once knew. If it goes on much longer, I fear what might happen even if they probably won't harm anyone except maybe me."

[Mor'os]

"Not really Parzan's p'rovince anymore, he was p'refec't, not a governor," said Osmar with the tone of an aside, before continuing with "What do zey wan't to do? If zey wan't to leave ze coun't'ry zey can."

[The Empire]

"I don't know, they hardly speak to me anymore. And their eyes looks like their mind is absent, I think they are even worse off mentally than I am. i mean, I at least have you, they have nothing. Anyway, I will notify them that they are released from service and free to go or stay at their own will."

[Mor'os]

"If zat is what you wan't I cannot s'top you. An'd, I believe we have arrived," said Osmar, g'lad for an excuse to change the subjec't.

[The Empire]

"Yes, here we are."

Just as she had opened the door and Osmar made a move as to leave, Hanna took a quick look around and saw noone else was in sight. She quickly decided to take advantage of the opportunity and in a split second, she had grabbed Osmar by his collar, pulled him into her suite with her, closed the door and clasped it.

"Time to make right dear." She whispered in his ear as she kissed Osmar's neck while holding him pinned against a wooden beam in the wall and letting go of his collar.

[Mor'os]

Osmar eyes went wide, his pulse quickened and he broke out into a sweat as Hanna's sudden action caught him of guard. A flurry of panicked and excited thoughts ran through his head, trying to figure out just what to do.

No no no said Second Thoughts as rapidly as ever This isn't right, this isn't acceptable

Oh, to the ten-thousand Hells with you! exclaimed First Thoughts! This... this just could not get any better! It is about time that we finally got to something like this...

But, this cannot possibly be the proper way to behave, there will be implications...

We've got nothing to do otherwise noted Third Thoughts.

See? said First Thoughts triumphantly. Even Third agrees. And speaking of proper, it wouldn't be polite to deny such a courteous request from a guest of ours would it?

Well, no, but...

Good! Then it is settled!

It's not settled at all...

IT IS SETTLED!, and with that Second Thoughts went off moping as best a thought could possibly mope.


Two months later, following the eventful celebration of the new year, Osmar was confronted within the halls of the palace by his mother.

"Good morning Mother" Osmar greeted her. He was troubled when she, rather than respond, stood there as if dumbfounded, stupefied. It was creepy to the say the very least.

"Um, is there something wrong Mother? Perhaps you should rest if you are not feeling well." Her face then broke into a great frightening grin, and before Osmar had time to respond she had lunged forward and embraced him in a vicious hold. Her eyes were slightly watery with apparent joy, or perhaps insanity as Osmar was being led to believe.

"Oh, I am so happy Osmar!" she shrieked with delight into his ear, nearly choking on her own words in her glee.

"Mother, your love is...appreciated, but why is this necessary?" Osmar struggled to say.

"Oh, don't kid me!" she replied, releasing him. Osmar inhaled to recapture his breath as she continued to speak. "Everyone in the palace knows already, even if you haven't issued the formal announcement."

"Wha..." realization came to Osmar. "You are talking about..."

"You've finally found a wife!" cried his Mother, cutting him short in her euphoria at the prospective marriage of her son. "I have been so worried with each day that has dragged on that this day might never come, but it finally has. Oh..." she took a moment to admire her son with parental affection through teary eyes. "Oh, you don't know how happy this makes me. And with know political strings attached..."

"Well, I am glad to see that you are so happy..." said Osmar, fearful that someone might be watching the spectacle. Even the Mor'osi, for all their love of the family, would find such a scene awkward. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Oh, I'm going to be better than okay Shauos," she replied, apparently going all out for the sake of making Osmar uncomfortable by using his childhood pet name. "Hanna seems like such a wonderful girl. I'm sure you two will be very happy. When will the formal announcement be made?"

"Today Mother. In fact I was just..."

"Then what are you waiting for! Get to it!" she said, shooing him along. "Would not do to keep the good people waiting!"

[The Empire]

Standing behind the curtains on the top of the stairs, waiting for Osmar to announce their desicion to marry, Hanna thought back to the first days when she had come to know Osmar. It had been good days, but they felt very long ago even though it had only been two months. Much had happened. She felt the reassuring precence of Lieutenant Tanya, the only one of the Royal guards that had coosen to remain in Mor'os with her after she had released them from service.
There was also Sasha and Nikolai, her tow tiger companions, who to honour the occation had been dressed up with amazing necklaces. Sasha's was made of silver with diamonds and sapphires while Nikolai's was of gold with emeralds and rubys. Hanna herself had dressed in the clothes she had worn at that first dinner she had shared with Osmar only sixty days ago. But more spectacular than the exquisite red dress or the precious metals and gems she wore was her radiant smile and eyes shining with happiness. Long gone was the dark dream that haunted her sleep that first week, gone were the sorrow and sadness. Her memories of the Lexicon and most of what had happened there had started to fade, it was just too unreal when compared to everything that had happened around her since.
She also thought back to the first time she seduced him. It had been the first time she had been with anyone. It had hurt a little at first, but not as much as she had feared from what her mother, Sabina, had told her of her first time. Now she enjoyed it. Maybe even a bit too much for decency... fortunately, no one seemed to notice, and if they did, they didn't care, or at least didn't judge. She was happy, truly happy, and deeper in love than she could have ever imagined herself to be.